This invention relates to a processing solution container. More particularly, it pertains to processing solution containers for use in a photographic developing machine as supply tanks for supplying various processing solutions such as developing, breaching and fixing solutions to corresponding processing troughs.
In general, prior art containers commonly used for containing various processing solutions are rigid undeformable containers because they must be durable and impact resistant to meet storage and transportation requirements.
Some processing solutions are shelf stored in concentrate form for storage considerations and used by diluting with a proper amount of diluent to the desired concentration. In this situation, in order to prevent deterioration of the solution as by oxidation, the container is fully filled with the concentrate such that no air space is left in the container interior. Since the container has a fixed shape as described above, the concentrate must be taken out of the container into another container of a larger volume before it can be diluted.
I proposed one solution to eliminate such cumbersome diluting operation in Japanese Utility Model Application No. 61-138827 (Kokai No. 63-45555 laid open Mar. 28, 1988). A processing solution container is disclosed as comprising a compressible housing which is compressed and filled with a processing solution concentrate in sealed condition upon storage and transportation, but is expanded to a predetermined interior volume upon use. Then a diluent is poured into the housing to a predetermined level to give a processing solution of a predetermined concentration.
Some photographic processing solutions are stored in two parts or more and used by mixing them. For example, developing, bleaching or fixing solution used in wet photographic development is usually stored as first and second parts both in concentrate form and used by mixing the first and second parts and adding a diluent, typically water thereto. The first and second parts are separately stored partially because the solution is of the type that will deteriorate if it is stored as a mixture of two parts and partially because a great volume is required in order that a mixture of two parts be a solution if two parts are mutually less compatible.
In the situation where a plurality of parts are mixed to form a processing solution on use, the processing solution container of the above-mentioned application has a disadvantage that a corresponding plurality of containers are necessary to store solution parts separately. To set these containers in the processing solution supply station of a photographic developing machine, a space corresponding to the number of containers is required, undesirably increasing the size of the developing machine.
The processing solution container of the above-mentioned application is easy to dilute the concentrate contained therein, but difficult to mix two or more concentrates in the single container.